When Sookie Met Guffy
by Slayergirl
Summary: Most children have an imaginary friend. Sometimes, that friend isn't ACTUALLY imaginary. Set pre-books, and may be the start of a 'Guffy-verse' set of stories. Rating is probably over-cautious, hinting at Uncle Bartlett's misdemeanours.


**A/N: Pre-books, a young Sookie meets part of her fairy family. I'm hoping to continue with other stories in the 'Guffy-verse' - this sets the scene.**

* * *

Dermot had always been the shyer, quieter twin, but nonetheless, he adored his brother Fintan, the outgoing and bold creature that he was. You couldn't find more different twins; but perhaps it was because of that they loved each other so deeply and dearly.

Concerned about the way his brother kept stealing away from the realm of Faery, Dermot cloaked himself, and followed him. He felt a twinge of guilt and sadness as he did so; it felt strange to be deceiving his brother. And yet Fintan, who normally shared everything with his twin, had remained silent on the subject.

Dermot was curious. He followed Fintan, hesitating at the portal to the human realm, which he seldom chose to visit. But finally going through, he followed his brother to a farmhouse, not far from the portal, and watched.

Fintan greeted the woman at the farmhouse; clearly it was somebody he knew well. _What's this,_ he thought with amusement, _my brother has a lover? A human lover? Well, well._ The woman was by now – he saw as he crept closer – quite elderly. _But still, she is comely,_ he mused. _My brother chose well, I deem._ He had never wished to lie with a human – or, indeed, anyone – but understood that his brother had different desires to his own.

As soon as he understood the situation, he forgave his brother. _Yes, I would keep this a secret. Though father would understand, I think – our mother was human, after all – I think there are many who would frown, and try to destroy Fintan's lover, and all those connected to her. Better she should remain hidden. And yet… could he not trust me? But… perhaps he thought, if I was caught and tortured, if I knew nothing…? Perhaps I would do the same. Hard to tell, when I have never loved in this way._

Still cloaked and invisible, he came closer to the farmhouse. The woman and his brother had disappeared inside the house, by now, and he thought of creeping back to the portal, and returning to Faery before anyone missed him. As he turned, a little voice asked, "Mister, who are you? You look all shiny."

He turned round, and eventually looking down, saw the speaker, a little blonde girl with a solemn face and big, wide blue eyes. He stifled a gasp; he recognised her blood as his own family's, even diluted as it was. Even more, he could see she had the eternal spark. _Well, well, WELL, Fintan, you HAVE been busy,_ he thought with an internal chuckle. "Was that lady that just went inside your grandmamma?" he asked, just as seriously. He wasn't worried that she could see him; children were much harder to deceive than adults. The little girl nodded. "Then I am your great-uncle."

The little girl recoiled slightly. "I don't like my great-uncle," she said doubtfully.

"But we've only just met," he said, a little confused.

"My _other_ great-uncle, of course, silly," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He assumed she didn't mean Dillon, but a human great-uncle. "Ah! I see. Well, I am a different great-uncle," he said gravely. "And I very much hope that you and I can be good friends."

She gazed at him for a while, her head on one side. "Well, you're different to him," she said consideringly. "So maybe we can. But I don't want to call you great-uncle, because it makes me think of him."

"You could call me great-uncle fairy?" he suggested. Something told him he should not tell her his name. It would be safer for her not to know it.

"Is that what you are?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, little one."

She nodded, accepting it in the way children do. "Great-uncle fairy is so much to say," she said thoughtfully. "How about Guffy?"

He understood immediately that this was a shortened version of the name he'd suggested. "Yes, I like that very much," he smiled. "Guffy, or Uncle Guffy, would be a nice name."

A brilliant smile flooded her face, and he wondered if the sun had ever shone before. "Then you are my Uncle Guffy," she said decidedly.

Dermot smiled back at her; he really couldn't help it. "And what shall I call you?"

"My name's Sookie," she said.

"Sookie. Very well, Sookie, tell me about this _other_ great-uncle, the one you don't like."

"He thinks bad thoughts," she said with a shudder. "I can hear them in his head, and they're nasty. He wants to do bad things to me." She canted her head on one side. "I can't hear your thoughts, though. It's nice and quiet."

_So, my little great-niece is a telepath, is she?_ He pondered. "Perhaps because I'm a fairy. But have you told anyone about the nasty thoughts?"

"They think I'm strange," she said sadly. "I don't think Mommy likes me much," she added quietly.

Dermot sat down on the ground beside her, and patted the place next to him in invitation. He'd always liked children, and been good with them, though there weren't as many as he'd like in Faery. Still, the triplets had been fun to play with, and to this day he had a real soft spot for Claudine. He was pleased when Sookie sat down beside him, smoothing out her skirt. "Has he done anything bad to you, or just thought things?" he asked. He knew enough of human nature to have an idea of what thoughts the child might have heard.

"He wants to touch me all the time. He wants to get me alone."

He hated the fear in her voice. "Sookie, try never to be alone with him," he said gently. "Now, because I'm a fairy, I can do magic, so I'm going to do some magic for you."

"Really? You can do magic?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Can you teach me?" she asked eagerly.

He chuckled. "When you are old enough, I'll teach you some if you want," he said. "But for now…" He plucked some of his hairs from his head, and with nimble fingers, plaited them into a delicate braid. He murmured some words, ancient words of blessing in the language of Fae, almost as old as time itself, then said, "Now, hold out your left hand."

Sookie looked puzzled, but thrust out her little hand towards him, and he deftly tied the braid round her tiny wrist. He murmured a few more words, holding the braid onto her wrist, and she gave a little cry of surprise when, on taking his hands away, the braid had disappeared. "Where is it?" she asked, eyes like saucers.

"It's become a part of you," he smiled. "It will be with you forever. It can never be taken from you, it is in your heart and soul."

"What is it?" she asked, her hand on her heart, as if trying to feel it there.

"A protection charm," he answered with a light smile. "It can't stop everything bad from happening to you. But it means that help will always, always come. Maybe me, maybe my kin, maybe a friend. But someone will always come."

She touched her wrist with awe. "Thank –"

"Hush, don't say it. Never thank a fairy," he told her. "If you thank them, you owe them."

"Gran says I must always thank people for presents."

Dermot thought about it. "Well, normally, yes. But you can express thanks without saying the words. So, you could say, 'Uncle Guffy, it's lovely of you to have done that for me, I like it,' or something like that, without saying the words."

She looked at him steadily for a moment. "So it's the words that are important?"

He nodded. "Yes. It's the words. Words are magic," he said solemnly.

"Then, Uncle Guffy, I want to say that it means such a lot to know I have someone there I can call on who cares about me." The little lower lip quivered a little, and she threw her arms around him.

Startled, but pleased at this show of trust, Dermot held his great-niece gently. He let his essence flow into her, soothing, calming, and strengthening her. He smiled serenely as she snuggled into him, her part-fae nature as comforting to him as his was to her. "Never doubt that you are loved," he whispered into her hair.

When she fell asleep, her head on his shoulder, he lifted her as tenderly as if she was his own, and carried her to the swing near the house, and laid her in it. Just as he stood watching her, his brother exited the house. He sensed Fintan without turning around. "Brother, you could have trusted me," he said softly, still watching the sleeping child. "I would never betray your secret."

Fintan stood beside him. "I know. I know you would not. And I know you would love those I love and care for them as I do. But I fear…"

"Yes, I understand," said Dermot swiftly. "No need to speak his name."

"Nor his – henchmen."

"Nor them," he agreed. "I hope you don't mind, I gave her a protection charm."

"That… that was kind of you," said Fintan, gratitude in his voice. "The other child, her brother, does not have the spark, so perhaps he will not need such protection."

Dermot looked surprised. "There is another? I haven't met him."

"Jason. He has neither her spark nor her gift."

"Poor child. Where is he?"

Fintan smiled as his brother skirted the outside of the house to find his grandson. Last seen, Jason had been asleep on the outside deck, curled up on a blanket.

Dermot stood for a while, watching him. It was true; though the boy was blond and good-looking, there was nothing outstanding about him. "I will give you something of my own," he said softly, and breathed out words across him; the air shimmered. "There; you share my looks, and will never want for love and attention," he whispered. Quickly, he wove another braid from his hair, and tied it to the boy's wrist, as he had done for Sookie. "Help will come when you need it," he said.

He returned to his brother, and he and Fintan made haste to the portal. Just before they crossed through back into Faery, Fintan stopped, and looked at Dermot anxiously. "Dermot – my brother and my friend – if anything should happen to me, if I should go to the Summerlands…"

"I will guard them as my own," Dermot assured him.

"Blessings be upon you, my brother," he replied gratefully.

Dermot rested his forehead to Fintan's. "Blessings be upon you and yours, also, my brother."


End file.
